Six steps from cane to crystal
Our mill processes 3,500 tonnes of sugarcane every single day. From cane reception and milling through to crystallisation, drying, and packaging, every stage is managed with rigour and precision.
From field to packet
Behind every packet of Ndhiwa Sukari is a precisely engineered process and a highly skilled team.
Cane Reception
Sugarcane arrives from outgrower farms and nucleus estates across our catchment area. Each delivery is weighed, inspected for quality, and logged. Farmers are paid based on the weight and quality of cane delivered.
Milling
The cane is fed through heavy-duty mills that extract the juice. The fibrous residue, bagasse, is fed directly into our boilers to generate the steam and electricity that power the entire factory, making our energy cycle partially self-sustaining.
Clarification
Raw cane juice is heated, chemically treated, and settled to remove impurities, producing a clean liquid ready for concentration.
Crystallisation
The clarified juice is concentrated by evaporation, then seeded to form sugar crystals. Controlled temperature, precise timing, and careful monitoring determine the size and quality of the final crystals.
Drying and Cooling
The raw sugar crystals are separated from the remaining liquid (molasses) using centrifuges, then dried and cooled to the correct moisture content for safe storage and packaging.
Packaging and Dispatch
Finished sugar is packed under the Ndhiwa Sukari brand in 1 kg, 2 kg, and 50 kg formats and dispatched to retailers, wholesalers, and industrial buyers across Kenya.
Support at every stage of the farming journey
Our outgrower model is designed to remove the barriers that prevent smallholder farmers from achieving their full productive potential. We do not just buy cane. We invest in the farmer before the cane even goes into the ground.
Agronomic Extension Support
Our 180 field extension officers are deployed across our entire catchment area, providing face-to-face agronomic guidance tailored to each farmer's specific land, soil profile, and crop variety.
Input Support
We facilitate access to high-quality planting material, fertilisers, herbicides, and other essential farm inputs, often on credit terms that allow farmers to invest in their crops before they receive payment.
Land Preparation Assistance
For new entrants and established farmers alike, we assist with land clearing and preparation where needed, helping farmers get their plots into production faster and more cost-effectively.
Harvest and Transport Logistics
We manage cane harvest coordination and transport logistics to ensure cane is harvested at the right time and transported to the mill efficiently, preserving sucrose content and maximising payment to farmers.
Fair and Transparent Pricing
Cane is priced based on weight and quality. We are committed to fair, transparent pricing that reflects the true value of the crop our farmers have invested in. Timely payment is non-negotiable.
Capacity Building
We invest in farmer capacity building through training workshops, demonstration plots, and peer learning programmes, including trials of early-maturing, high-yield cane varieties and modern irrigation methods.
Production that gives back
Our mill was built with sustainability as a design principle, not an afterthought. We minimise waste, maximise resource efficiency, and generate positive environmental value at every stage of production.
Bagasse Energy Recovery
The fibrous pulp left after cane crushing fuels our boilers, generating steam and electricity for the factory. This significantly reduces our reliance on external energy sources and lowers our carbon footprint.
Water Management
Our closed-loop water recycling system dramatically reduces freshwater intake and ensures responsible management of process effluent. NEMA environmental compliance is non-negotiable for us.
Press Mud and Ash as Agricultural Inputs
Filter cake (press mud) and boiler ash are rich in phosphorus, calcium, and organic matter. We return them to the land as organic inputs for our outgrower farmers, improving soil structure and fertility.
Soil Health Programmes
Our extension team works with farmers on soil testing and management to keep cane fields productive over multiple ratoon cycles, reducing replanting costs and improving long-term farm profitability.